Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle)

Lonicera japonica Thunb.

Lonicera japonica Thunb. var. aureo-reticulata (T. Moore) G. Nicholson

Lonicera japonica Thunb. var. chinensis (P.W. Watson) Baker

Nintooa japonica (Thunb.) Sweet

Japanese Honeysuckle, Golden-and-silver Honeysuckle

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Dipsacales	Includes viburnum, honeysuckle, snowberry, beautybush, twinflower, many others
Family	Caprifoliaceae	Honeysuckle family
Genus	Lonicera	Either Latin for honeysuckle, though this is not a “true” honeysuckle; or named for Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586), a German herbalist, physician and botanist who wrote a standard herbal text that was reprinted many times between 1557 and 1783
Species	japonica	“From Japan”

About plant names...

Japanese honeysuckle is native to eastern asia: parts of China, Japan, and Korea. It has become naturalized in much of the rest of the world, including North America; in some habitats it is considered an invasive species.

Here are some honeysuckles:

10/5/2010 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, MD
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm)

Flowers turn from white to yellow as they age. · 5/5/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Pepperell, MA
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

	*Lonicera fragrantissima*	You are here Lonicera japonica	*Lonicera sempervirens*
Common Name	Winter Honeysuckle	Japanese Honeysuckle	Trumpet Honeysuckle
Plant	Shrubs are 3-9½' (1-3 m) around	A vine up to 16' (5 m) in size. Young stems are reddish- or light-brown, while older stems are hollow, with peeling bark	Trumpet honeysuckle is a twining vine 3-20' (91-609 cm) long, depending upon what it has to climb over. Bark is orange-brown, and peeling.
Flowers	Blooms are a creamy white color, in pairs, appearing in March-April, and very fragrant, with a lemony smell	Flowers are white, showy, fragrant, about 1" (2.5 cm) in size. They fade to a yellow color, so the vine appears to have *white and yellow flowers*	In clusters of 2-4, each red or orange with *yellow interiors, 1-2" (2.5-5 cm) long, trumpet-shaped*. They appear from April to July.
Leaves	Leaves are opposite, roughly oval, with smooth edges	Leaves are opposite, roughly oval-shaped, with smooth edges. Younger leaves may have lobes	Roughly oval in shape, opposite, bluish green, and 1-3" (2.5-7.6 cm) long. Leaves at the base of flowers are fused at the base.
Fruit	Orange to red berries up to ⅜" (1 cm) across	Black, about ⅛" (3.2 mm) around	Berries are orange-red to deep red in color
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 4-8		USDA Zones: 4-9
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild
Occurrence

	*Lonicera tatarica*	*Justicia spicigera*
Common Name	Tatarian Honeysuckle	Mexican Honeysuckle
Plant	Densely branched shrub, up to 10-12' (3-3.7 m) around	3-4' (91-121 cm) high and 4-6' (1.2-1.8 m) around
Flowers	Pairs of flowers, each about ¾" (1.9 cm) around, may be white, pink, or rose. Each flower has *five spatula-shaped*, somewhat unruly-looking petals, and five anthers	Bright orange, *tubular* in shape
Leaves	Leaves are oval in shape, with smooth edges and a bluish cast, 1½-2½" (3.8-6.3 cm) long × 1-1½" (2.5-3.8 cm) wide, in opposite pairs	Roughly oval, soft and velvety, up to 3" (7.6 cm) long
Fruit	Berries are orange to red, about ¼" (6.3 mm) in diameter, often lasting through the winter
Range/ Zones		USDA Zones: 9-10
Type	Wild	Wild
Occurrence	Common to invasive

Identification: Japanese honeysuckle is very robust—a rapidly spreading vine that spreads by roots, aboveground runners, or seeds. They can reach 16' (5 m) in size. Young stems are reddish- or light-brown, while older stems are hollow, with peeling bark. Leaves are opposite, roughly oval-shaped, with smooth edges. Younger leaves may have lobes. Flowers are white, showy, fragrant, about 1" (2.5 cm) in size. They fade to a yellow color. Most of the time it looks like there are two differently colored flowers on the bush. Japanese honeysuckle berries are black, about ⅛" (3.2 mm) around. Native honeysuckle berries are red to orange.

Edibility: Flowers can be used for nectar, and leaves parboiled for use as a vegetable. Leaves contain somewhat toxic saponins, so boiling in ample water is necessary to remove them. Tea can also be made from leaves, buds, and flowers.

Online References:

Lonicera japonica on www.carolinanature.com

Lonicera japonica on the USDA Plants Database

Lonicera japonica at the Bugwood Wiki

Lonicera japonica on Wikipedia

Lonicera japonica on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Lonicera japonica at the University of Florida IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

Lonicera japonica at the University of Connecticut Plant Database

Lonicera japonica on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants